Borderlands: Ethos
by Europiam
Summary: One the way to discovering a new vault, Axton and his five companions crash-land on the mysterious planet of Ethos. They quickly learn that life here is just as hostile as Pandora, and that the planet hides a deadly secret. What starts as a quest for riches becomes a desperate fight for survival. Alliances will be forged, romance will blossom, and friendships will shatter. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1: Strip the Flesh

**Borderlands: The Ethos**

**Chapter One: Salt The Wound**

The ship blazed its silent way across the inky blackness of space, the plate glass of the front window flaring as it reflected the light of a nearby star. Axton raised a hand to shield his eyes, and turned to Zer0, who was sat in the pilot seat.

"Where are we now?" he asked, leaning over Zer0's shoulder, and gazing at the flashing panels on the dashboard.

"In sector 7/ Near the Planet Ethos/ We will arrive soon," Zer0 answered flatly, in his customary Haiku.

Axton shook his head, still perplexed as to how Zer0 managed to fit everything into the short poem, before he leant back, and turned to face the rest of the occupants on the ship.

Salvador was sat on the window sill, his feet dangling just off the floor, two Vladof assault rifles laid across his lap. Gaige and Krieg were engaged in animated conversation, if it was a bit one sided, Deathtrap floating silently behind her, whilst Maya dozed in a corner.

Axton felt the ship shudder slightly, and Maya jerked awake, her hand automatically groping for the Maliwan SMG on her back. Axton turned, his brow furrowed.

"What was that?" He demanded.

"A small turbulence/ We've entered atmosphere/ Brace for landing."

Zer0 leant forward over the sticks, a frowny face emoticon flashing across his mask as he gripped the controls. The red/brown surface of the planet bloomed on the horizon, and swelled quickly as they approached.

Maya made her unsteady way toward the front of the ship, as the ship shook and rocked as they seared toward the ground.

"Zer0, we're coming in too fast!" She yelled, as the metal plates screamed against the soaring heat.

"I am in control/ We're not going to crash/ You should sit back down," Zer0 replied calmly, although his hands were locked around the joysticks, so much so that the seams on his gloves were straining against the force.

The ground was fast approaching, racing upwards to meet them, as Zero stared back disinterestedly.

"ZER0" Axton bellowed, grabbing hold of the sticks, and yanking them back, so that the nose was pulled upwards roughly, sending all who were standing stumbling backwards. Krieg roared his displeasure and pulled out his buzzaxe, whilst Salvador leapt back to his feet, brandishing his rifles, cursing profusely.

"EVERYONE, BRACE." Axton screamed, as the ship hurtled toward the planet's surface.

"Too late," Zer0 muttered coldly, and then there was the sound of shrieking and splintering metal, and then all went black.

…

Axton awoke suddenly, his face buried in the dusty ground. The others lay scattered around him, dotted amongst the twisted wreckage of their ship. His ECHO device HUD flickered and pix-elated wildly, and Axton glanced down, to see a heavy dent in the small oblong box.

"Ahh, you are awake/ We must search the wreckage/ Find the equipment."

A Haiku, it could only be one person, and, sure enough, Axton spotted Zer0 sat cross legged on a nearby rock, his sniper slung over his shoulder. He seemed utterly unscathed, an amazing feat as he had been sat at the head of the craft when they crashed.

"Where are we?"

Zer0 didn't answer, he simply fiddled with the safety on the rifle. Axton pushed himself onto all-fours, and glanced around at the surroundings. The others moaned as they stirred and clambered to their feet, and began the search for equipment they could salvage from the twisted metal.

"Stupid piece of crap," Gaige muttered sourly, as she kicked the ship's shattered hull, before she raised her voice, "Hey Zer0! Maybe you should, like, learn to fly next time!"

He didn't answer, but Axton saw Zer0's finger tighten around the trigger of the sniper.

"Don't even think about it," Axton growled, and Zer0's hand relaxed. Axton exhaled heavily, relived. The last thing he needed was two of the most dangerous members of the team fighting.

Maya limped up behind him, and Axton turned.

"What have you found?"

"Not much," she said, "A few Inta-Healths, some healing kits and a few Bandit guns."

"The light runners?" Axton asked apprehensively.

Maya shook her head, "All of them destroyed in the crash, I've got Gaige and Salvador seeing if they can piece together something, but it isn't hopeful."

"Zer0," Axton called, "Help Maya with the search."

Zer0 straightened and leapt from the rock, striding over to where Maya stood. Axton noticed she was bleeding from a wound in her side.

"Maya, take one of the vials, but keep the container, we may find somewhere we can refill it."

Maya nodded, and Zer0 slung his rifle onto his back, before helping Maya walk back to the ship.

Axton turned back to the horizon, hands behind his back, his HUD still stuttering. He should get it fixed, but right now, they had bigger problems.

…

It took them four hours to completely unearth everything from the crash site, and by that time, the twin suns of the planet were setting. They had found what little equipment they had left, and it was all laid on a sheet of dirty blue tarpaulin. It wasn't much; to go along with 6 healing kits, 5 Insta-Healths, and the few rusted Bandit pistols, there was one Maliwan Sniper, a spare core for Deathtrap, and a few boxes of ammunition. The food and water had been crushed or spilled in the crash.

Axton was kneeling by the blue square, looking over the supplies silently, whilst Maya eyed him pensively. Eventually, he exhaled heavily, and stood, and the group waited expectantly.

"Obviously, this situation this situation is not ideal," Axton said, pacing up and down the length of the sheet, "We're low on supplies and there don't seem to be any towns nearby.

"Wrong," Zer0 breathed from a short distance away. He was sighting down the barrel of his rifle, looking to the east.

"What do you mean?" Axton said, striding over to where Zer0 was crouched.

"See it for yourself/ A town in the distance/ Possible supplies."

As he spoke, Zer0 passed the rifle to Axton, who took it, and put the scope up to his eye.

In the distance, he could see a blurred collection of shapes, and, very faintly, he could see a dust could billowing.

"Not just a town," he muttered, his eyes narrowing "We got company approaching."

He turned back to the group, handing the sniper back to Zer0, who quickly scaled to the top of a flat-topped boulder, and lay prone, his visor pressed up against the scope.

"Alright people," Axton called, "We got something, it's closing fast, and we have to assume it's hostile. It looks to be in a vehicle, which means we now have a means of transport."

He paused, looking at everyone in the group individually, and took a breath.

"I don't know how many there are, and Zer0 will take out as many as he ca-" His speech was cut short by the sharp crack of the Jakob's sniper that Zer0 had cradled in the crook of his arm.

"Everyone! Get to cover, they'll be here soon," Axton cried, before he hunkered down behind the twisted remains of the pilot's chair.

Two, three more shots from Zer0, and, if he was on form, at least 4 kills. Peering around his cover, Axton saw Zer0 engage his invisibility, and slide down from his position.

"5 out 8," Zer0 breathed as he passed, and Axton felt the slight breath of air that Zer0 had displaced. He could hear the engine now, and the sound echoed across the desert plain. In his peripherals, he saw Zero crouched behind a small piece of metal that had sheared away from the main hull, and that he was covering Maya, who looked healed now, and was sitting with her back against a splintered crate, clutching the white and orange SMG.

The car was visible now, an ugly, rusted thing with large wheels and an imposing grille. It almost reminded Axton of the ancient Big-Rigs he had seen during a tour of duty on Earth.

The truck screeched to a halt, the wheels scrabbling for purchase on the sandy ground, and the remaining three piled out. Cautiously they swept the camp, their weapons raised. They were of a make Axton didn't recognize. Large, oblong, and almost crude looking, the guns were painted a pearly white.

A sudden movement behind them startled the figures and they all whipped around. Axton could see what appeared to be Zer0 sprinting across the open expanse of the plains. The men dropped to one knee, raising the weapons to eye level, and Axton smirked. That wasn't Zer0. If Zer0 didn't want to be seen, there wasn't anyone on Heaven or Earth that could spot him, and he certainly wasn't stupid enough to run unarmed into the open.

Axton leant around the seat, and fired a quick three round burst from his Dahl Scorpio, the bullets slicing through the air into the back of one of the figure's skulls. Blood spattered the other two, and they turned in shock. Zer0 stood from behind his cover, and squeezed the trigger of his sniper. The bullet scythed into one side of the figure's head, and exploded out the other. He crumpled, and his companion spund around, his finger tightening on the trigger, but, before he could fire, he was enveloped by a glowing ball of blue/purple energy. Maya held him aloft, and Krieg appeared out of nowhere, lobbing a buzzaxe full force at the helpless soldier. It buried itself in the forehead of the man, and his head jerked backward, with the horrible snap of broken bone. The bubble was dispelled, and Krieg tugged the buzzaxe out of the man's chest with a grunt. Axton, however, was more concerned with Maya; she looked pale and drawn, and her side was bleeding again. He staggered sideways, and Zer0 rushed to her side, catching her before she fell.

"Thanks," she muttered weakly, and Zer0 pulled her arm over his shoulder, and helped her back over to the camp.

Axton policed the men's armour and weapons, before dumping the bodies in a shallow ditch. The men's armour intrigued Axton, as it was very similar to the plates worn by members of the Crimson Lance, albeit these were in worse condition and appeared to have had very rushed repair jobs. The guns were of more interest however, the shape and colour was very unfamiliar. He hefted the gun, feeling its weight and balance. It was heavy, and quite old, but seemed well made, and well cared for. He turned it over and saw a name stamped on the side, the letters eroded with age. Brow furrowed, Axton wiped a thumb over the stamp, cleaning off some of the dirt and dust, and, finally, the single word could be made out.

Atlas.


	2. Chapter 2: Fall Forever

**Borderlands: Ethos **

**Chapter 2: Fall Forever**

* * *

Axton sat, his back resting against the flatter side of a nearby rock. He was not in a good mood. His head throbbed, his throat burned, and he could have sworn his faulty HUD was giving him motion sickness. Of course, the others were oblivious; too busy, all wrapped up in their own little dilemmas.

Gaige was happily tinkering away on the stolen truck, fitting it with god-knows what, whilst Salvador looked on, taking the occasional swig from a hip flask of rakk ale. Maya looked a little better, she was still deathly pale, but her the wound in her side had sealed again, but she _had_ needed a small dosage of Insta-Health to get her back on her feet. Insta-Health they couldn't waste.

Zer0 was doing what he did best; being the silent watchmen. He was lying prone on the roof of the truck, the sniper to his visor, completely still. Even the movements of his back as he breathed were shallow and slight. He could have been a statue, or could even look dead to a casual observer.

Presently, Axton rose, shaking his head to clear it of the slight sickness that had struck when he stood. The various aspects of his HUD danced around from the sudden motion, and the reticule swayed wildly, before settling in a location that was just off-centre.

He strode over to Gaige, and rapped a hand on the open door.

"How's it going in there?" he asked.

Gaige backed out, with a little difficulty, due to the cramped conditions of the cabin, and twisted in the seat so that she faced Axton, wiping oil and grease onto her tights.

"Well? I guess?" she replied hesitantly, "I mean, this is like, totally different technology to the runners, all I know is, like, the gear stick, steering wheel and pedals."

"But it's good to drive right?"

Gaige shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

Axton nodded, and turned back to group.

"All right people!" He called, "We're good to go! Let's move!"

…

_**Sanctuary, Crimson Raiders' headquarters, Pandora. **_

"You're really testing my patience here Hammerlock," Lilith said icily, her arms folded.

"It is a rather large galaxy, and in comparison, a very small ship," Sir Hammerlock replied coolly, his eyes fixed on the screen before him.

"Aren't you supposed to be an expert tracker?"

"I track creatures: Bullymongs, Threshers, Drifters and the like, _not _missing spacecraft," Hammerlock said testily, "Besides, I believe this was_ your_ mission."

Lilith tensed, and her eyes narrowed. That statement rubbed a nerve the wrong way, and there was nothing she would rather do than smash his stupid, smug, superior...

Mordecai noticed her blazing expression and hurriedly tried to defuse the situation.

"What have you found so far?"

"Well," Sir Hammerlock replied, "I managed to plot all the points that the Transponder '_phoned home_'. They followed this path, up to here." As he spoke, he traced a line over the screen with one finger, a shallow, sweeping curve, which came to rest not far from a rather large star.

"We lose the signal here, I predict that a solar flare from this star might have blown out the signal."

"Any planets nearby?" Mordecai asked pensively.

Sir Hammerlock shook his head sadly, "Ethos used to be there but Hyperion records say it was destroyed by Atlas, not long before the company went out of business. The coordinates for the planet were kept in the records as a landmark."

"So, what? That's it?" Lilith asked incredulously, "They're drifting around out there with no coms and we're doing nothing?"

"We can do nothing more now," Sir Hammerlock said calmly, "We could try to estimate the most likely flight path, but that will take time."

Lilith felt her temper rise, and she clenched her fists, "And we just sit here and hope, is that it?"

"I have done my best-" Hammerlock started, but Lilith interrupted.

"That's not good enough," she snapped, slamming a fist onto the desk. Sir Hammerlocks eyes flashed, and he stood suddenly, knocking his chair sideways.

"I apologise if I do not live up to your expectations, Siren" He said coldly, emphasising the word 'Siren', so that it almost became an insult, "But we mere mortals have our limitations. For the moment, that ship cannot be found until I have some better equipment. Good day."

He slightly tipped his hat, and strode from the room, leaving a very heavy silence.

Lilith looked around, and saw Brick and Mordecai eyeing her warily. Glancing down, she saw that her gloves were smoking slightly, and she uncurled her fists to reveal two small burn marks in the leather.

"You okay there Lil?" came Bricks deep voice, in a strangely soft tone. Lilith nodded silently, before she turned to face the others.

"Look," She said finally "I'm sorry about losing it, but it just..." she took a deep, steadying breath, and continued, "First Bloodwing, then Roland, and now... I just don't want another six of my friends deaths on my conscience."

Brick smiled down sympathetically, and laid an enormous hand on Lilith's shoulder, which she covered with one of her own.

A few moments later, Lilith found herself sat before the bar at Moxxi's. Brick had engaged in a rowdy game of drats in the far corner, and Mordecai was slumped in the corner, brooding.

"Why the long face, sugar?" Moxxi's seductive voice broke through Lilith's revelry, and she glanced up, to see Moxxi eyeing her curiously.

"It's nothing..." Lilith muttered sourly, glaring at her drink, as if it had done her a great personal wrong.

"Darlin'" Moxxi said, "I've been a bartender for a long time now, I know when a girl's got problems."

Lilith sighed, and shrugged. Looking up at Moxxi, Lilith began.

"You know that expedition we sent the others on?" Moxxi nodded, "To find more vaults, right? See if they exist?"

"Yeah, trouble is, we lost contact with the ship. They could be anywhere."

Moxxi's eyes widened, and she seemed, for once, lost for words.

"Oh.." She managed to say finally.

"Yeah," Lilith said with a bitter laugh, "You see why it's a problem."

"You say the ship just... disappeared?" Moxxi asked.

"Uh huh, right near where-" Lilith stopped suddenly, a thought striking her.

"Uhh, Lilith honey?" Moxxi said uncertainly, snapping her fingers in Lilith's face.

"Lilith didn't seem to notice, she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"Dammit, I've been such an idiot," she hissed, knuckling her own forehead, "Why did I-?"

Moxxi watched her uncertainly, one eyebrow raised, until she stood suddenly, sending her stool flying.

"I think I know where to find them!" Lilith said triumphantly.

"Well then," Moxxi said, her usual smile curving across her face, "If you could honey, try bring Maya back in one piece."

That derailed Lilith's train of thought, and she frowned at Moxxi, a little bemused. Moxxi shrugged.

"What can I say? She's cute."

Lilith shook her head, and dashed from the bar to find Sir Hammerlock.

…

_**Planet _**_

The truck rumbled across the open expanse of the plain, and as it shuddered across the uneven terrain, the occupants swayed from the sudden motion. Axton sat in the driver's seat, with Zer0 riding shotgun. The others were squeezed as into the back as best they could, even if Krieg took up two seats alone. The only one absent was Gaige, who had to been forced to ride on DeathTrap's shoulder, who himself was gripping the truck's side panel.

Zer0 was staring straight ahead, his hands resting lightly on the body of his sniper. He could have been asleep, that's if he even needed to. Either way it wouldn't make much difference, he was lousy company conscious too.

In the distance, he could just make out the trailing smoke and sprawling rooftops of the town they had seen earlier. Axton kept his eyes focused on the horizon, trying not to think about what could be waiting for them in the town. The word _Atlas_ kept running through his head. From what he had heard about them, it could not be good news.

"We're here." Zer0 said quietly. Axton looked up and started. So wrapped up was he in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed the gates of the city rearing forward to meet them. The wheels screeched and fought to grip the dusty ground as Axton slammed the brakes. The truck skidded to a halt, just brushing the dirty bricks that constructed the main gate. Finally, the dust settled, and Axton raised his head, coughing.

"Everyone okay back there?" He called, and an array of moans answered.

"That'd probably be a yes," Axton muttered, as he unhitched his assault rifle, kicked open the truck's door, and jumped from the cab onto the gritty floor. Zer0 had already disembarked, and was staring up at the gates, his hands clutching the high powered rifle.

"Do you see anyone?" Axton muttered, and Zer0 raised the rifle to his eye.

"No" he said eventually, "No wait!" A single figure had cautiously poked their head over the battlements, only to have it explode in a bloody mess. The body slowly crumpled, and pitched forward over the wall, landing in a tangled heap at Zer0's feet. The figure was dressed simply; black combat trousers, a well-worn flack jacket, and a grey hood. As Axton turned the body over with his foot, its face was revealed. He wore a featureless white mask, which completely covered his face, aside from his eyes, which were hidden behind

what appeared to be aviation goggles.

"Bandit," Axton said disdainfully, and Zer0 nodded in agreement, "On every fucking planet so far."

He sighed and ran a hand through his tousled hair.

"You see a way in?"

"Other than the massive gate?" Gaige piped up, bobbing around Axton's shoulder. Axton glared at her, and she shot back her sweetest, most innocent smile.

"Could you figure out a way to open it?" Axton asked the teenager, and she tutted.

"Honestly Axy, look at who you're talking to."

She turned away, and strode purposefully toward the gate, DeathTrap in tow. Axton raised an eyebrow.

"Axy?" He glanced at Salvador, who was leaning against the grille of the truck, and he shrugged, "Don't ask me _amigo._"

Then there was a huge explosion, and the sound of rending metal. The gates had collapsed inwards, and Gaige stood proudly amongst the wreckage, as the DeathTrap's claws disappeared in a cloud of digital smoke.

"Gate's open," Gaige said innocently.

"Well," Axton muttered, as he led the group toward the twisted remnants of the gate, "No sneaking in."

As he picked his way through the rubble and shrapnel, he took in his surroundings, committing all the details of what he could see to memory. A few more shadowy figures followed their progress, occasionally making darting movements toward the group of Vault Hunters, only to be scared away by Krieg's growls or threatening stares. But each time it took a little more to make them back off.

"Is it just me," Axton said under his breath, "Or are they getting braver?"

At his shoulder, Zer0 nodded, his grip tightening on the trigger.

Eventually, the group found themselves in an open square, surrounded on all sides by streets littered with ramshackle buildings. It could almost be Pandora. On the many rooftops, several of the figures lurked, their goggles reflecting the light of the double suns. No-one moved, and the only sound was the shallow breathing of the wind. One of the figures approached the group warily, seemingly unarmed. He made his slow way to were Zer0 stood, and reached out a hand. Suddenly, a knife had appeared, and the figure lunged. Zer0 grabbed the man's wrist, ripped out the knife and buried it in the bandit's throat.

Then all hell broke loose.

Bullets rained down from the roofs, as the bandits opened fire. The group of six dove for cover, all but Zer0, who slid into invisibility. Axton unslung his assault rifle, and fired in full automatic at the roof line. Several of the bandits fell, but more replaced them, hammering molten metal down on the Vault Hunters. Axton heard an infuriated, animal roar, and saw Krieg bound from cover, buzz axe in hand, blood-lust in his eyes. Some of the braver bandits, who had clambered down from cover, scattered before him, and the slower ones were utterly decimated by the screaming ball of rage that Krieg had become. Zer0 reappeared, covering behind one of the buildings to Axton's left. Zer0's suit was spattered with crimson, and his sword dripped blood onto the ground.

He swung out of cover, aimed, and the sniper roared and bucked as the bullet ripped through the air, searing toward the rooftop.

One of the bandits had also found a heavy-looking sniper, and was fumbling with the safety when the bullet hit him. The man's chest exploded, and he was thrown off his feet, sent spinning away into the skyline. Zer0 cycled the bolt, aimed and fired again, the muzzle of the rifle spitting fire.

Axton ejected an empty clip, slamming another one home, before he unleashed leaden fury upon their attackers. Blood leapt into the air as life was erased across the square.

"How do you like that _pendejos_?" Salvador howled gleefully, as the orange fire burst from the barrels of his Vladof rifles. He let out a euphoric laugh as the Bandits fell all about him, never to rise again.

Maya's eyes were narrowed in focus, as she let the electric laden bullets fly in short, controlled bursts. There was a clinical nature to the way she killed, similar to Zer0, as if she garnered no enjoyment from the massacre. And finally, DeathTrap was soaring across the blood-bath, slicing and eviscerating all who dared to stand in its way, and those who thought themselves lucky enough to escape DeathTrap's scything claws were met with an equally bloody end at the hands of Gaige, who held onto the DeathTrap's shoulder with one hand, a Hyperion shotgun in the other.

Finally, the dust settled, and the final shots echoed away into the sky, stained red by the setting suns. From where Axton stood, it seemed as if the sky reflected the ground below. A small smile curved his lips, who knew he could be so poetic?

Gaige leapt to the ground, a slightly unnerving grin plastered across her face.

"That. Was. Totally. Awesome." She beamed, breathless but ecstatic, "When's round two."

"Sooner than you might think," Zer0 said coldly, and he held up a hand for the group to listen. Sure enough, the thunderous rumble of an engine reverberated across the battlefield. Axton exhaled heavily, and readied his assault rifle, but he wasn't sure if he could last another fight. He was tired, his throat burned and he ECHO had taken a few hits, so that half his HUD had flickered and died.

Sooner than expected, the two vehicles lurched into view, and these were far more imposing than the rickety truck they had arrived in. The cars were bulky, wedge-shaped, and covered in armour plating. Two threatening looking turrets swivelled, so that they aimed down at the group below. Several figures appeared in a red haze, and they, like the first soldiers encountered, wore armour similar to the Raiders. However, unlike the other three, these men had obviously taken care of their armour, and it gleamed in the setting sun.

The new arrivals fanned out, keeping their weapons trained on the small group of six. Silence reigned across the square. A lone figure stepped into the centre of the circle, facing the assembled Vault Hunters. Axton could clearly see that it was a woman, and her armour looked lighter, smaller, and more angular than the men who stood around him.

"Why are you here bandits?" She asked coldly, her voice ringing out across the open expanse.

"Do we really look like bandits to you, _puta_?" Salvador yelled back angrily.

The woman didn't reply, and she stood, taking in all the dead bandit bodies that littered the town.

"I guess not," she said eventually, although no warmth had entered her tone.

Axton decided to fill the silence.

"We're vault hunters," he explained, "From Pandora, we crashed here."

The woman looked around sharply.

"Vault Hunters?" She demanded, advancing on the group quickly, "Well then, you may be of more use than I thought."

She turned back to the soldiers, specifically to one dressed in dark red armour, with a large, square shield slung over his back.

"Sergeant, get them a Lancer, they're coming back with us."

"But commander," the man began to protest, but the woman held up a hand and he quickly lapsed into silence.

"You will do as I say, or maybe you'd like to be stationed out in the caverns."

The Sergeant visibly tensed, and he unconsciously took a step back.

"That's better," the woman said icily, "Now, call it in."

Begrudgingly, the Sergeant pulled a small device from a belt on his hip, and spoke quickly in to it. Within a few seconds, two more of the cars had materialised.

"You three" the woman ordered, gesturing at Salvador, Krieg and Gaige, "You're with the sergeant. The rest of you, you're with me. Let's move people!"

And then, suddenly, Axton found himself in the car, that strange red haze quickly dissipating into the air. The others appeared next to him a heart-beat later, looking a little bewildered at the sudden change of scenery. A moment passed, and the woman appeared in front of them. She touched a panel on the dashboard, and the inside of the car was illuminated by a dim red hue. Another touch to the panel, and an oblong steering wheel appeared in the woman's hands.

"So, you're vault hunters," the woman said shortly. She spoke matter-of-factly, so that it was a statement, not a question.

"Why are you out here, so far from Pandora?"

Axton raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I should ask you the same question. I though Atlas only operated on Pandora."

The woman sighed, and reached up, pulling a lever to engage the auto pilot, before she spun her seat to face the vault hunters.

"As a former member of the Dahl military, I would have thought you of all people would know that these type of companies aren't limited to one planet."

Axton's hand automatically went to his throat, where his ex-wife's dog tags hung.

"How did-"

The woman gave a short humourless laugh, "Oh please, you're the infamous Axton. The tales of your scramble for fame and glory are everywhere, especially the ECHOnet. You're quite the celebrity."

"As for you two," she turned to the others, "Zer0 and Maya, I presume? I understand you two are wanted criminals for Hyperion."

"So you've seen the posters," Maya said calmly.

"Not as such, Hyperion put out regular ECHO broadcasts to any military units willing to earn a little extra money."

"So, you know who we are, how about you return the favour," Axton said, folding his arms.

The woman glanced down for a second, then shrugged.

"Why not, what harm could it do."

She reached around to the back of her helmet, the seals opening with a small hiss of steam. She lifted the mask off her face and Axton's eyes widened. Black hair tumbled to her shoulders, and large, bright green eyes blinked on the unfiltered light. To Axton, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

The woman smiled at his reaction and extended a hand.

"Call me Gaia," she said, in a considerably warmer tone, as Axton grasped the proffered hand and shook it, "Oh, and welcome to Ethos."

…

Zer0 did not deal with boredom well. After his life as a hired assassin, he found that he found downtime increasingly frustrating. It had taken them two monotonous hours to reach Gaia's base of operations, and then they had been sorted into their respective quarters; Gaige and Axton, Salvador and Krieg, then finally Maya and Zer0. It might have been his imagination, but Maya had looked a little flustered when she was paired with him.

Maya had collapsed onto her bed and had been asleep the moment her eyes closed, but Zer0 preferred to stay alert. He did not care much for sleep, and as such, had trained his body so that it was all but unnecessary. That, and the fact that Maya snored like a drunken bandit. Reaching the end of his patience, Zer0 got to his feet and crept from the room. The base did not interest him, but he relished being up and moving. He couldn't fathom why, but his gut instinct told him to head downwards, into the underbelly of the installation.

He found the shadows of the basement welcoming, even if there seemed to be nothing of interest down here. He was about to turn and leave, when he noticed a small indent in the far wall. Upon closer examination, he saw that it was in the shape of a four fingered hand. His curiosity piqued, he inspected his own hand, and then, cautiously, inserted into the hand print.

An image burst into life before him. It was a large yellow square, covered in fast moving symbols Zer0 did not recognise. Soon enough though, the symbols paused, and a small scroll of English text panned across the screen.

"_Host planet [Ethos] primary language detected", _it read, "_Welcome Reviver." _

Zer0 was intrigued. Why had the panel referred to him as a "_Reviver"_? And why had this never been discovered before?

He noticed two floating options had been presented to him.

One read: "[_Open documents, __(3 available)]__" _the other, "[_Close Data Terminal.__]__" _

Closing did not seem the appropriate option, especially since he had been given an opportunity like this. He selected "_Open," _and a single text box materialised.

"_ERROR. Not all text could be translated into [English]. These have been __replaced__ with nearest approximation."_

"_ERROR. __Corruption has occurred amongst the files, and such data has been removed or replaced with nearest [English] approximation." _

Then, the text box dissipated, and a wall of writing. Zer0 considered his options. One, he could stay here, and found out about this alien secret, or two, he could go back to his quarters and listen to Maya attempt to destroy the base vocally. It was not a difficult choice.

Zer0 sat down on the floor crossed-legged, and the screen moved to match his eye level.

"Fascinating," he murmured, and he began to read.

**_/Master_ _Constructor {#NO DATA#} log, [0300 hours], __Fleet CE-16-66_**

_/[23 years] have passed since I last saw the Planet [Ethos], and I must say I am apprehensive about my returning. My charges seem not to bear my [misgivings] but instead go about their daily [routine] as if they were machine, not {#NO DATA#}. They wake, wash, and [throw themselves into] their daily tasks with an enthusiasm I had not [born witness to] on the [outer colonies]. The people who live in these [inner sanctums] though, have not seen the horrors that the {#NO DATA#} can bring down upon our fair people. Already I fear that the [shield] planet of [Pandora] may have fallen to this foe. _

_/However, I know that all [hope] is not lost, for within my fleet I carry the blueprints for what may very well be our [salvation]. The __others aboard these ships do not know of this, for I do believe that it may raise their moral too high, only to be [crushingly disappointed] if it fails. _

_**/Master Constructor {#NO DATA#} log, [1600 hours], Fleet CE-16-66**_

_/[2,300 hours] ago, an unarmed recreational ship was caught at the fringes of a conflict near [Pandora's] moon. It was completely [obliterated], and, despite our best efforts, uneasy [whisperings] are spreading back to the [auxiliary] worlds, such as [Ethos]and [Eden-6]. We attempted as best we could to [silence] these rumours, even resorting to some quite [unsavoury] tactics. However, some crept past, and the morale of my [men] had not remained [untarnished]. _

_/[300 hours] ago, we sent down a small [scout cruiser] on a peaceful reconnaissance, to gauge how the people of [Ethos] felt about my [reinstating] as {#NO DATA#} of this planet. The [crew] reported that the [populous] were mainly [in favour] of my [coronation], as it meant they may actually have a strong leader, rather than the [pathetic fool] that {#NO DATA#} had been. We shall have to [wait and see.] _

_**/{#NO DATA#} {#NO DATA#} log, [1600 hours], planet [Ethos]**_

_/I have discovered that we, the {#NO DATA#} are not alone in this galaxy. Over the past, [millennia], a primitive species known as [human beings] has flourished on planet [Earth]. The civilisations known as [Romans] has become a point of particular fascination to me. Already they have developed [__a__griculture], and [__p__hilosophy], and they look to the stars, although I do not believe they have to capability to [comprehend] what they are seeing. _

_This species seems different, far more [unanimous] in it's hope for it's own [survival], than on the other planets of the [so-called] 'sentients', who only blindly wished to __destroy themselves in [Civil wars]. _

_I__ndeed, these [Humans] seem more capable of [transcendence], but I also see [corruption] and [evil], and I do fear that they too, may [tear them selves apart]._

* * *

_Yes, I'm gonna come out and say it now, the idea for the terminal in the final act was somewhat 'lifted and adapted' from Halo. I thought that saying it here would be more favourable than trying to claim it as my own idea. _

_Also, as a final note, don't be afraid to point out any grammar and/or spelling errors made in the chapters. I won't get offended, and it'll help to getting better written content out to you. _

_~Europiam_


	3. Chapter 3: Deception and Damned Lies

**Borderlands: Ethos**

**Chapter 3: Deception and Damned Lies.**

"We can't trust her."

The vault hunters were gathered around a small wooden table, their faces grim. It had only been a few hours since they had arrived, and Axton felt the lack of sleep settling heavily on his shoulders. Through a small slit in the wall, which is what passed for a window in the base, Axton could make out the deep, midnight blue sky, and the distant glimmering of the stars.

"Axton?" Maya said, and Axton turned to face the group, who were all eyeing him curiously. All but Zer0, for he wasn't present.

"Sorry," Axton said distractedly, "What were you saying?"

Maya fixed him with a resentful look before she continued.

"I said we can't trust Gaia. We know far too little about her, and we can't forget she was a member of the Crimson Lance."

"So was Roland," Axton interjected, folding his arms, "Why can't we trust her? We trusted Angel without questioning her."

"And look where that got us," Salvador muttered, and Axton shot him a dirty look.

"Yeah, but she came through in the end," Axton insisted, "She got us to the vault, _and _helped us take down Jack. Anyway, how could we-"

"Know she had a hidden agenda?" Maya interrupted, "That is exactly my point. Unless one of us is psychic, and I very much doubt any of you is hiding extra-sensory powers, we have no idea what she could be up to."

Axton stared moodily at the cup of vodka that sat on the table before him, glaring at the transparent liquid as if it had done him a great personal wrong.

Gaige sidled up to him and poked him on the elbow.

"Why do you care so much Axy?" She teased, "Got a crush have we?"

Axton treated her to one of his coldest stares, and Gaige backed away, looking a little nervous, and hurried from the room back to her quarters.

"All jokes aside," Maya said, "You _cannot _allow any personal feelings you have towards her to warp your perceptions."

Axton leant back and folded his arms.

"What do should we do then, oh-all-powerful siren?" he asked sceptically, raising one eyebrow.

Maya sighed and laid her hands flat on the table, staring at each of her companions in turn.

"I recommend we move out in the morning, or sooner if we can."

There was a wave of disgruntled outcries, and Maya attempted to regain control, holding up both hands, and shouting for quiet, but no-one paid her any heed. Axton hid a smirk behind his hand, and watched calmly. That is, until Kreig snarled and slammed his buzz-axe into the table-top, shocking everyone into silence.

"Thank you Krieg," Maya said, nodding at the psycho, who pulled his axe from the wooden surface and stepped back.

"So," Axton said, "You're saying we should leave this _very _secure facility, on a planet we don't know, full of god-knows-what, with no food? _That's _your master plan?"

Maya's calm expression slipped, and Axton could see the fear and uncertainty behind it.

"In... um... In a manner of speaking," Maya replied, regaining her composure, "obviously, we will prepare for departure. We may even have to _borrow _one of Gaia's Lancers."

"This just gets better and better," Axton muttered, and Maya shot him a filthy look.

"Why don't we take a vote?" Gaige said, reappearing at Salvador's shoulder, "I mean, we aren't getting anywhere by arguing."

"What about Zer0?"

Maya glared at Axton with increasing hostility, her eyes narrowed, "Are you determined to argue with _every _point of the plan?"

Axton shrugged. He wasn't sure why he felt like picking holes in the plan, and why he specifically wanted to annoy Maya. Maybe his lack of sleep was getting to him.

"I will ask Zer0 what his decision is when we find him," Maya said stiffly, through gritted teeth, "But for the moment, I will take the opinion of everyone present. All those in favour, raise your hands now."

In actual fact, Zer0 was not as far away as the Vault Hunters seemed to believe. He was stood just a few metres away, behind a steel plated door, engaged in a heated discussion with Gaia. Earlier, he had surfaced from the terminal, to find the ex-assassin standing behind him.

"We need to talk," she had said coldly, and now he was here, whilst Gaia was trying hard to extract what he had read from him, for the moment Zer0 had broken eye contact with the terminal, it had shut down and locked itself. Even Zer0 had been unable to open it.

"What did you see?" Gaia demanded, for the third time so far. Zer0 gazed coolly down at her, but stayed silent, much to her frustration.

"This is getting us nowhere," she hissed, stepping closer, "I _will _find out what you saw, because you have no idea how important it could be."

"I know you want it/ That is more than enough/ For me to not tell," Zer0 answered calmly, folding his arms.

"Listen to me," Gaia whispered, taking another step forward and hooking one finger under his helmet, "I will find out-"

She was interrupted by the door sliding open, and she quickly stepped away from Zer0's willowy form.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Maya asked, one hand on her hip, and raising one eyebrow.

"No," Gaia said coldly, folding her arms and glaring at the Siren, "No, you're not."

Maya looked rather pointedly at Zer0, and beckoned impatiently, before she turned and strode away.

Zer0 moved to follow but Gaia grabbed his arm, her eyes narrowed.

"You got lucky this time, alien," she growled, "But luck never lasts."

"I'll remember that," Zero replied coldly, yanking his arm from her grasp and firmly turning his back on her.

…

Several hours had passed since the meeting, and it had been a resounding vote _against_ leaving, with only Maya and Zer0 voting in favour. Now Zer0 sat on the roof of the building, gazing disinterestedly at the sun as it clambered steadily into the sky.

A quiet noise caught his attention and he felt someone standing close behind him. His arm tensed as he itched to reach for the sniper slung across his back.

"Mind if I join you?" said Maya's voice, and Zer0's hand relaxed.

She sat on the lip of the roof and rested her head on her knees.

"We should not stay here/ Far too many secrets/ We know too little..."

Maya felt a twinge of unease at that statement, as anything that seemed to worry Zer0 was never good news.

"Are there any... other reasons?" Maya asked hesitantly, and Zer0 turned his head very slowly to face her. She was sure that, if she could see his eyes they would be glaring at her in annoyance.

"Emotions are nil" He replied coldly, "There are all but nothing/ Serving to distract."

Maya opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by an agonizing wave of noise. It screamed inside her brain, and spiralled through her body, setting her nerves alight. She collapsed to the ground and screamed, writhing and convulsing, her hands clamped over her ears and her eyes wide open. Faintly, she could here Zer0's voice nearby, and his hand on her shoulder, but was numb to all. Pain had consumed her, and it was all she knew. Something flashed across her vision, a pair of enchantingly blue eyes, and a small vice cried out.

"_Please!" _the voice pleaded, and it sounded young, it's owner couldn't be older than Gaige, "_Find me! Rescue me!" _

To an outside observer, it might have seemed that Zer0's reaction was rather unsettlingly cold. But, as you lot _aren't _outside observers, you will know this is how Zer0 reacts to any situation.

Zer0 gazed down at Maya's gasping, shivering form with a detached interest. If any emotion passed his mind it was that of annoyance, as it meant that their departure would be that much later.

Her screams pierced his ears as he crouched down and placed a hand on her shuddering shoulder. Her eyes were rolled back in her head and she wasn't responding to any stimulus from the outside world. He unlimbered the sniper, and spun it in his hands, so that the slender barrel pointed toward the heavens.

"Apologies in advance," he muttered, then he brought the butt of the rifle down on the Siren's head, and she slumped, still and silent, onto the roof.

Axton and the others burst onto the roof, but stopped dead at the sight of the unconscious Maya, and Zero crouched over her with his rifle raised ominously.

"What happened here?" Axton demanded, striding forwards, and Zer0 stood to meet him. He didn't answer, and Axton glared at his own distorted reflection in the smooth black glass.

"Get her to medical," Axton ordered, pointing at the unmoving Siren, and gesturing at Gaige to take her.

"How?" Gaige asked sceptically, "I'm, like, fifteen Axy."

"You _are _the one with the huge robot at your disposal, right?" Axton said, folding his arms and raising one eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Gaige said, and, with a flurry of blue sparks and those strange icy blue cubes that signified digi-struction, the DeathTrap robot appeared. It scooped up the unconscious body with surprising delicacy, and followed Gaige into the compound.

"What _did _happen?" Axton asked confidentially, glancing around the rooftop.

"Not right now Axton/ I will tell you later/ With no unwanteds."

Axton followed his gaze, and spotted Gaia lurking in the half light.

"Right," Axton muttered, and Gaia met his gaze, and she quickly stepped back into the shadows. Axton's eyes narrowed.

"You know," he said to Zer0, "I'm beginning to see why you don't trust her..."

…

_Maya stood alone in a flat, blank void, completely surrounded by nothingness. She could not tell whether she was suspended, or standing on solid ground, as all was the same in every direction. She peered around her twisting her body against the greyness, and felt it pushing back, as if it resented being moved from its current situation. Suddenly, shapes burst upwards all around her; rough hewn rocks, that shattered apart and reformed into uneven brown stone walls. Black marble tiles slid under feet and locked into pace, whilst faded threads spiralled through the air and spun themselves into tapestries which hung limply against the walls. _

"_The monastery," Maya growled, and her blue tattoos glowed a bright turquoise as the anger built. _

"_No, wait!" _

_The glow faded and Maya turned, to see a young girl running towards her. She looked about 14, with waist length blonde hair, and was dressed in simple white linen robes. _

"_I'm sorry if I angered you," the girl said, a little breathless, "But I thought it would be better if we met somewhere more... familiar..." _

"_You've been here?" _

"_I was born here," The girl said bitterly, and Maya's eyes widened, "It was long before you killed Brother Sophis. I was born, raised, and educated here. I was only a child when they said they had a great "quest" for me. You will gain the knowledge of the gods they said, and of course, being so young, I leapt at the chance. They took me away in secret, even you weren't allowed to know. I was taken to this planet, and into this huge cavern. They left me in a small chamber whilst they performed some... strange... ritual, or something. Then I was taken into this massive... Vault... "Stay here," they said, "and you will reach beyond enlightenment." They sealed me in and I was happy. Happy to be here. I thought of it as my peaceful solitude, my Garden of Eden. And so, I sat, I meditated, and I waited. Days and months I waited, and then years passed, and I grew bitter and angry. I found I had powers, and I trained myself to use them." As she spoke, the girl pulled down her left sleeve, and revealed the spiralling blue tattoos that denounced her as a siren. _

"_I could inhabit minds, speak to them, listen to them, even break them. I tested and practised on the animals and bandits that came close to where I was hidden. You would be surprised at what little distinction there is sometimes..."_

"_No, I wouldn't," Maya replied, half smiling. _

_The girl gave a short laugh, before she took a breath and continued. _

"_Unfortunately, if I brought them close to the door that blocked me from the outside world, the spell was broken, and they would flee in fear." The girl sighed and dropped her eyes, the misery and loneliness of over a decade of solitude etched across her young face, and Maya's heart almost broke. She reached out a hand and placed it on the young girls shoulder, and with her other, cupped the girl's chin and raised the her face so that their eyes met. _

"_I _will_ find you," Maya said softly, reassuringly, "You won't be alone for much longer" _

"_Thank you," the girl replied in a whisper, wiping tears from her eyes, "You should go now."_

"_Wait," Maya said, frowning, "How can I find you, you haven't told me."_

"_You'll know," The girl said, "Now, find me." _

_She waved a hand, and Maya felt like she was falling. Falling into a pit which would never end, and a cold, derisive laugh echoed all around her. _

…

Maya awoke with a gasp, and she sat bolt upright. Harsh light burned down on her and she had to shield her eyes from the glare.

"Easy now _cariño," _said a soft voice at her side, and she looked round to see to see Salvador's concerned face gazing up at her.

In the opposite corner, she saw Axton and Zer0 engaged in a heated, whispered argument, with much gesticulation and more than a few (18+ only) gestures. Zer0 seemed to realise that she was awake, and quickly turned and walked away. She heard his footsteps receding up the concrete stairs.

Axton looker around, and saw Maya sat up, her back leaning against the rusted lamp the stood next to the bed.

"How d'you feel?" He asked, crossing the short distance to her side.

"Fine," Maya replied shortly, "Listen, there's something I need to tell you..."

Axton's brow furrowed as Maya recounted her dream, and, when she finished, he rubbed his face slowly, and Maya saw the tiredness that discoloured the skin around his eyes.

"So, she's a siren," He said finally, and Maya nodded, "But, can we trust her? You said yourself that we shouldn't have trusted Angel, and she was a vision."

"But this is different," Maya insisted, "And what if I'm right, and we don't go. You've forsaken a teenage girl to a life of complete solitude. Can you imagine that?"

Axton's expression wavered, but he still looked sceptical.

"I for one, agree with Maya."

Both Axton and Maya turned at the new voice, and saw Gaia leaning against the door frame, her arms folded, and her head encased in her assassin helmet.

"I say we move out as soon as possible," she continued, "I mean, if there's a vault on Ethos, it's bg news, nd would definitely help the morale of the troops."

Axton sighed heavily.

"Fine," he said, "Another fucking vault, why not? It's not like we got killed for the last one, right?"

Maya smirked, and Gaia met her eye.

"Shall we go?" Gaia asked, jerking a thumb over one shoulder, "Leave Axton to sulk on his own?"

"Yes, I think we should," Maya said, coking her head to one said and sliding from the bed.

The two women left the room together, and headed downstairs, only pausing so that Maya could grab her SMG from a hook on the wall.

"I am not sulking!" Axton shouted, and he shook he head and stormed from the room, following his companions into another perilous adventure.

* * *

**This chapter had been a long time coming, I know. I'm sorry it took too long, but I found this one incredibly difficult to write for one reason or another. I've read it, fixed it, thought of it as done, only to re-read it and delete most or all of it. And so yeah, this took a while. **

**In some form of wisdom (or idiocy, you decide) I injected a little humour into this chapter. Again, who knows why, but I imagine you lot will let me know if (and when) you don't like it. **

**As ever, feel free to correct any miss-spelling that have managed to escape me. **

**And on a final note, shout out to Jack Brennan for letting me know about some slip-ups on the last chapter. Much appreciated dude. **


End file.
